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Agriculture
Volume 15
Issue 22
10.3390/agriculture15222392
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Molecular Regulatory Networks Underlying Root Growth and Development in Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.)

by
He Zhu
1,†,
Xinyu Li
2,†,
Yanran Xu
1,
Xiaxiang Zhang
2,
Ruicai Long
1,
Wang Ding
3,
Ruyue Li
1,
Yan Zhao
4,
Xuemin Wang
1 and
Mingna Li
1,*
1
Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
2
College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
3
Agros (Beijing) Tech Company Limited, Beijing 101399, China
4
College of Grassland Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and High-Efficiency Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of Native Grass Breeding, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010018, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Agriculture 2025, 15(22), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15222392 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 October 2025 / Revised: 6 November 2025 / Accepted: 17 November 2025 / Published: 19 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Crop Genetics, Genomics and Breeding)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) is a perennial forage species characterized by extensive root systems that contribute to ecological restoration and stress resilience. This study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of root growth and development through transcriptome analysis at three developmental stages (20, 28, and 42 days after germination). Morphological analyses revealed progressive increases in root length, biomass, and surface area over time. Transcriptomic profiling identified 28,518 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between R-28 and R-20, 35,581 DEGs between R-42 and R-20, and 24,418 DEGs between R-42 and R-28, indicating extensive transcriptional reprogramming during root development. Functional enrichment analyses highlighted pathways involved in ribosome biogenesis, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and energy regulation. Notably, 45 bHLH, 57 NAC, 56 WRKY, and 6 GRAS genes were differentially expressed and well-annotated, underscoring their regulatory roles in root system development. Furthermore, 65 nitrogen metabolism-related genes and multiple hormone signaling pathways, including auxin, abscisic acid, and ethylene, exhibited dynamic expression patterns coordinating developmental and stress-responsive processes. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the regulatory networks governing A. cristatum root development and offer valuable genetic resources for functional genomics studies, ecological restoration efforts, and breeding programs.
Keywords: gene expression; hormone signaling; nitrogen signaling; RNA-seq; transcriptional regulation gene expression; hormone signaling; nitrogen signaling; RNA-seq; transcriptional regulation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhu, H.; Li, X.; Xu, Y.; Zhang, X.; Long, R.; Ding, W.; Li, R.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, X.; Li, M. Molecular Regulatory Networks Underlying Root Growth and Development in Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.). Agriculture 2025, 15, 2392. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15222392

AMA Style

Zhu H, Li X, Xu Y, Zhang X, Long R, Ding W, Li R, Zhao Y, Wang X, Li M. Molecular Regulatory Networks Underlying Root Growth and Development in Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.). Agriculture. 2025; 15(22):2392. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15222392

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhu, He, Xinyu Li, Yanran Xu, Xiaxiang Zhang, Ruicai Long, Wang Ding, Ruyue Li, Yan Zhao, Xuemin Wang, and Mingna Li. 2025. "Molecular Regulatory Networks Underlying Root Growth and Development in Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.)" Agriculture 15, no. 22: 2392. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15222392

APA Style

Zhu, H., Li, X., Xu, Y., Zhang, X., Long, R., Ding, W., Li, R., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., & Li, M. (2025). Molecular Regulatory Networks Underlying Root Growth and Development in Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.). Agriculture, 15(22), 2392. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15222392

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